Peter Shala extends her deadline to hand over the appeals file of the order for reprobation

In contrast, Peter Shala, represented by his defense, has submitted to the Appeals a plea against the reform order being pronounced on November 29, 2024, which forced him to pay the victims 208 thousand euros. Based on five points, Shala wants the Appeals Panel to suspend the appeals against this order until the 18-year prison sentence is considered, against him for war crimes, or cancel the measure given and turn it into review to another jury, reports the “Bet on Justice“.

Otherwise, in the motion submitted on January 28, 2025, the panel of judges is said to have erred by holding Shala accountable for the damage not caused by his actions or inaction. While, at point two, Shala through his defense, led by Jean-Louis Gilissen, claims that the panel has erred in determining compensation, based on assumptions of the damage the victims may have suffered, without assessing whether these may be linked to the actions of the defendant.

At point three, Shala claims the panel has erred by awarding compensation without demanding sufficient evidence of the damage suffered.

As a result, Shala claims the panel of judges has assumed the costs of medical treatment and financial losses without requiring concrete data to prove these losses. Therefore, Shala says the panel has acted arbitraryly, not seeking to prove the damage, and has opposed the well-known ECHR lawyer, which requires clear evidence of the damages to receive compensation.

At point four, Shala claims the panel has erred by setting an unproportionate reward for the findings concerning his role in the crimes for which he was convicted, adding the fact that he was convicted of participation in the joint criminal enterprise. As a result, the defence claims that Shala's financial aspect has not been taken into account, as well as he has been ordered to pay high compensation.

At the fifth point, Shala's defence says the panel has erred by placing civilian responsibilities on defendants before the appeal to prison sentences ends. The defence claims that if the sentence on Shala is changed to Appeal, then the bail order should be revised and the allocated financial sums must be adjusted.

As a result, they claim that in view of the fact that the sentence is not yet final and is being considered in the Appeals, it is fair that the process of reprobation will be terminated until an appeal to the sentence is completed. According to them, this will ensure that Shala's rights to a fair process are respected.

Otherwise, on November 29, 2024, Peter Shala was ordered to pay 208 thousand euros for the victims as a damage. On July 16th, Peter Shala has been sentenced to 18 years in prison, where he was found to be guilty of points 1, 3 and 4 of the prosecution.

Shala was found guilty of arbitrary detention as a war crime against at least 18 people in the period between May 17th 1999 and June 5th of that year at the Metalli Fabric in Kukes, torture as a war crime against at least 18 people and unlawful murder as a war crime against one person. Otherwise, during February 2023, the trial had begun on this occasion, where on February 21st the prosecution and the defense of the victims have submitted their opening statements, while on February 22nd they have heard Peter Shala's opening statements of defense as well as statements without his oath.

In March 2023 the presentation of the prosecution's evidence had begun, where 10 witnesses were heard, and in August had begun presenting evidence from the defender of the victims where two witnesses were heard. Peter Shala was arrested on March 16, 2021, by Belgian authorities and transferred to The Hague on April 15, 2021, on the basis of a request for co-operation in implementing the warrant and order for transfer issued by Kosovo's Specialised Chambers.

In the confirmed indictment, Shala is charged with individual criminal responsibility in various forms of war crimes as arbitrary bans, cruel treatment, torture and illegal murder committed in the context of the armed conflict in Kosovo and in connection with this conflict.

The “commands that Mr. Shala was carried out approximately between May 17th 1999 and June 5, 1999, against persons who were held in the metal factory in Kukes (Albania), allegedly used by the Kosovo Liberation Army”, it is said in the communique.